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So many people wonder how and where one of the world’s richest men lives. Microsoft’s founder, Bill Gates, built his estate on Lake Washington’s eastern shore installing the latest technological advancements in modern living – high-end security systems, customized touch and voice controls, and luxurious entertainment facilities. The estate is not open to the public, naturally, but it’s visible from the water and touring boats occasionally cruise within sight from a considerable distance.

Dining at this Eastside restaurant requires time, money, and an appreciation of the culinary arts. Chef Jerry Traunfeld’s kitchen often uses ingredients from the restaurant’s gardens and farm. Creative menus include a nine-course dinner of Northwest foods, served with five or six matched wines (non alcoholic options are also available). Reserve well in advance.

The Junction is the epicenter of what used to be an autonomous village in its own right. The name refers to the intersection where California Avenue and Alaska Street meet, and it is here that the bulk of West Seattle’s restaurants and shops are located. The small- town feel is palpable as you stroll along California Avenue past mom ‘n’ pop shops and notice old-timers out for walks or sipping coffee at sidewalk tables. Murals painted on the sides of businesses mirror the warmth and pride of a tightly knit community in its prime, and reflect on its 150-year-old history. Illustrations include the original streetcar lines from 1918.

Every year, 100,000 vessels pass through the Ship Canal’s Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (see Lake Washington Ship Canal), and nearly as many tourists come to marvel at the site between Salmon Bay and Shilshole Bay. Named for a retired US Army Corps of Engineers general, the Locks’ sophisticated engineering, and the sheer variety of pleasure boats and industrial ships that are able to pass through, impress visitors. The Locks also feature fish ladders to allow migrating salmon to leave from or return to their home streams, best observed between June and November. Don’t miss the small but fascinating visitors’ center, with its informative short film and displays.

Savor the best doughnuts in a town that considers such tasty treats almost holy.

When an Army surplus store closed in Belltown, its outside adornment ended up in the hands of Fremont sculptors and painters who renovated the World War II-era missile and placed it atop this store.

This elegant 1900s Art Deco room with state-of-the-art audio and computer-controlled lighting has been used as a concert hall, a comedy club, and even a rental space for a Talmud Torah Hebrew Academy Bingo series. Artists as dissimilar as Al Jolson, the Mills Brothers, Gypsy Rose Lee, and the Ramones have performed here. Now, the 1,000-seat venue books successful touring rock and hip-hop acts.

In the space of a former 1920s-era vaudeville theater upscale audiences soak up the best of jazz, rock, cabaret, and blues while enjoying French wine and cuisine.

Modest, affordable, and comfortably furnished studio apartments with kitchenettes are on offer here. Features include a roof deck, exercise room, 24-hour front desk, and maid service.

This late-August festival preserves Tibet’s rituals and traditions while incorporating cultural elements of its neighboring countries.